Omaha daily bee., 1887-08-22
A LEAP FROM TIE CLOUDS
Eronaut Baldwin Jumps From His Balloon
Distance of One Mile.
EXCITEMENT AT ROCK AWAY
A Gritty Erial Notwithstanding
fm the Seattle Welcome Heap
pearance-Grand Ovation to
Courageous Fellow.

New York Times: A little before 8
o'clock Baldwin disappeared in the hotel,
in pink tights and blue bespangled
trunks, with his feet incased IN heavy
pair OF shoes. His fine physique was
displayed to good advantage. He
at once called for volunteers
to assist him IN getting under
way. A score or more Of strong fellows
seized the balloon robes while the pro-
naut united the neck OF the balloon and
fixed the valve. Somebody asked him IL
he wasn't bit shaky.
mot shake" he said. "I'll be back
here in fifteen minutes after 60 up"
That's the way to talk, Tom, ex.
claimed friend OF his, who then turned
to the crowd and shouted: 'T'll bet 90
to | Baldwin will 90 up and come down
safe; He'll land like q cat, right side
up"
Nobody took the offer, but then it was
reassuring, all the same.
Baldwin said he calculated from the
direction and velocity of the wind, that
he would land over IN the bay, in sight
OF the hotel. He stepped into fhe basket
promptly at 5 o'clock. and five minutes
later told the men who had hold of the
guy ropes to walk slowly and steadily
toward him, after detaching the bags Of
sand. The human circle contracted inn.
mediately, and the balloon arose per.
ceptibly.
the ropes were attached to a concentric
iron ring, and then to the basket When
this was done the top of the balloon was
u feet in the dir. The wind struck the
aerial ship and swayed it like the bOugh
OF tree, and the men scrambled in their
prevent its premature escape.
Baldwin leaped to the ground and
made last examination OF the para
chute, and was especially careful that the
cords were not in q snarl. Then he
climbed back into the basket after placing
in 1t bag of sand ballast and long
butcher knife.
Let her go easy, boys, and all of you
get hold OF the anchor rope and pay it
slow and steady" was the impurturable
young mans parting instructions at
6:14i.
The balloon arose like cloud of
smoke, with a taut tension on the rope,
and moved off over the unrippled water
of the bay. The band on board the
Grand Republic struck up "Dixie," all
the steamers footed their whistles, and
the mulLltuOe Cncere0.
1t was an inspiring scene. A hundred
feet up Baldwin stood erect and raised
his hand as ii to hush the noise. 1t ceased
on the instant. and everybody watched
with breathless anxiety. The aeronaut
shouted assuringly:. "Don't be afraid;
there is no danger!"
The crowd again cheered vociferously
and watched for developments. The bal
loon kept its PERPENDICULAR and sailed
away and upwards like huge kite with
the anchor rope for tail. To those who
looked from below the beautifully pro.
portioned ballon seemed stationary, and
but for the rope slipping through the
block nobody could have told but the air
ship was fixture between the placid
water of the bay and the azure dome re-
fected in 1t.
Baldwin suddenly disappeared from
sight. When he came to view again the
knife blade flashed in the sunlight like
mirror, and shower Of sand Tell from
the balloon at 5:17:so. The balloon
ment. Tho voice Of the aeronaut
was heard once more. He called
down to the men who had let out
1000 feet of rope, "Steady with the rope!"
The men had barely ceased their labors
when Baldwin was seen to make quick
movement. He had cut the rope with
one slash, and down it fell with swish
and rattle on top Of the whole fleet of
catboats.
The balloon, released from all re-.
straint, flew up and away like thing of
life, and in few seconds the aeronauts
movements became indistinct except by
the aid of a field glass.
At $50, when the balloon looked about
quarter of its real size, there was fiut.
ter OF the white parachute and it was
suddenly torn from the side of the bal
loon. The aerial ship careened as if on
the point or callapsing and the basket
jumped half way up to the gas bags
dome. fell back in place, and grew
smaller and smaller as the balloon went
higher and higher.
Beyond and below the abandoned air
ship was the white parachute, no larger
than boys top. and the nervy aeronaut
clinging to the iron ring. The object can
only be imperfectly. distinguished, but
the contour is quite plain. The fact that
1t is falling is apparent from the widen
ing space between IL and the balloon,
now no bigger than an ordinary Bartlett
pear.
The parachute, with Its human freight,
oscillates in an alarming degree, but falls
steadily. The umbrellalike top seems to
be caught in a snarl of some kind, and
there are suppressed cries of alarm
from the spectators, who fear there is
imminent danger of tragedy. Back
and forth the rigid athlete swings, like
the pendulum of clock thas been newly
started. Gradually the parachute be-
comes regular and steady and the pend
ant regular, until both fall gracefully and
regularly into full view.
The drop is estimated to be about
twelve feet to the second, and at that rate
Baldwin will strike the water before the
small boats reach him.
At 5:21 20 he falls straight into the sea
with splash and in moment is seen to
rise out of the shallow water on a bar
near Little Egg Mash and extricate him
self from the collapsed parachute.
1t is the signal that he is alive, and all
the whistles IN the bav toot in unison.
Edward Tracy and James Griffin go in
small boats to the rescue. and at $40 the
aeronaut is landed amid the cheers of the
crowd, while the band plays "See the
Conquering Hero Comes"
He was assisted to the hotel, and half
an hour later joined his friends in the
parlor, physically as sound as ever and
ready to eat a hearty meal. He said he
estimated that he assembled a mile, and
the sensation in falling was like an
elevator trip. He landed lightly where
the water was two feet deep. Before he
parted with his balloon the Grand Re.